- The kids return from their holidays and the trio is back on the case again.
- Hermione's figured out the significance of one of the clues they've winnowed out of Hagrid: Nicholas Flamel, a real-life scholar and monk, who supposedly created the Sorcerer's Stone.
- The Stone is supposed to be able to turn lead into gold and bring the dead back to life.
- When the three go to talk to Hagrid about it all (after hours, nach), they discover that Hagrid's hatching something of his own: a dragon.
- Draco, the little narc, spots them and tells Professor McGonagall on them for being out after curfew.
- The lot are given detention—including Draco—which lands them all with Hagrid again, this time in the heart of the Dark Forest.
- Hagrid leads them to a seriously wounded unicorn, hoping to discover what attacked it.
- Harry gets paired with Draco and Fang, and the three stumble upon a monstrous, hooded creature feeding on a dead unicorn.
- Draco runs screaming, and the thing menaces Harry for a few moments before a centaur gallops in to the rescue.
- We learn that the creature might actually be Voldemort, barely existing on the blood of unicorns.
- The kids pool their knowledge and resolve that Dumbledore will keep Harry safe.